Treadle-operated bench vise



Sept. 14, 1954 G. G. BENAC TREADLE-OPERATED BENCH vxsE Filed Nov. 20,1953 Nm ww @l NN Nm :Si Q

:Pau u um :nl

to the top of the bench 2.

Patented Sept. 14, 1954 TREADLE-PERATED BENCH VISE George G. Benac,Gary, Ind., assignor to United vvStates Steel Corporation, a corporationof New lJersey Application November 20, 1953, Serial No. 393,456

4 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to vises and more particularlyto a footeoperated vise.

The primary object ofthe invention is to provide a vise having jawswhich may be rapidly opened or closed by means of ioot pressure on atreadle bar.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a foot-operated visehaving an improved linkage arrangement between the treadle bar and thejaws oi the vise whereby pressure applied by the vise jaws is not onlymaintained uniformly but is increased after the force depressing thetreadle bar is removed.

The nature of the invention and its distinguishing features andadvantages will be fully apparent from the following detaileddescription and appended claims when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view `showing the vise in open position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l but 'shows the vise in closedposition; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View Ytaken on the line III-III ofFigure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

- ends of the spaced bars of the ybearing arm 26 reference numeral 2designates a workbench of the conventional type having mounted thereonthe improved vise of my invention which is designated generally by thereference numeral-ii. The vise 4 may be mounted on a stationary supportmember 6 which is bolted or otherwise attached A fixed jaw 8 is rigidlyattached by bolts Ill to the top of the stationary support 6. Themovable portion of the vise is made up of a substantially verticallydisposed leg I2 having a movable jaw I4 bolted or otherwise rigidlyafixed to its upper end opposite the xed jaw 8. The leg I2 is pivoted tothe stationary support member 6 below the level of the bench surface bymeans of a transverse pin I 6. The bottom portion of the leg I2 isprovided with a cam surface I8 which is engaged by a cam rollerrotatably mounted on a foot-operated lever 22.

The lever 22 is made up of two articulated treadle and bearing arms 23and 26, each of which comprises parallelly spaced bars that straddle thelower end of the leg I2 adjacent the cam surface I8. The spaced bars ofthe treadle arm 23| comprise treadle portions 2li and are hinged inend-to-end relation to the spaced bars of the bearing arm 26 by means ofa pair of axially spaced pvot pins 28. The cam roller 2D is rotatablymounted between and carried by the spaced bars of the bearing arm 26.The outer are pivotally attached 'to the lower end 30 of the `stationarysupport 'member 6 by means of a common pivot pin 32. A foot plate 34 ismounted transversely across the tops of the free ends of the treadleportions 24 with a portion thereof extending laterally beyond one of thetreadle portions, as best seen in Figure 3.

A ratchet 36 is rigidly mounted on the stationary support member t bymeans of a pair of arms 3l and depends vertically between the treadleportions 24 of the arm 23 adjacent the lower lend of the arm I2 oppositethe cam surface I8. The ratchet '36 has a curved and toothed face whoseradius of curvature extends to rthe pivot pin 32. A pawl 328 ispivotally mounted vbetween the treadle portions 22 by means of 'a pivotpin 40 Vso as to engage the toothed face of the ratchet 3B. The pawl 3,8is constantly urged into engagement with the ratchet 36 by a compressionspring -42 which bears against the pawl at one end and against thetransverse plate 34, which extends across the treadle portions 24, atits other end.

The articulated bearing and treadle arms 26 and 23 are normallymaintained in end-to-end relation in 'a common horizontal plane by meansof a compression spring 4d which depends substantially verticallybetween the spaced bars 'of the bearing arm 26 from a cross bar 45 whichis carried by and extends across vthe tops of the spaced bars of thebearing arm 25. Each of the spaced bars of the treadle arm '23 areprovided with a projection 46 'extending rearwardly of its pivot pin 28below and parallel with the bearing arm 26. A transverse bearing platefil connects the free ends of the projections A8. The plate 4'! isengaged by the lower end of the spring Ml. A bolt @8, rigidly butadjustably attached to the cross bar `I5 by means of a pair of nuts 5i),the lower of which is rigidly mounted on the cross bar 45, depends ashort distance into the core of the spring 44 to provide a stop for theplate Il for limiting the upward movement of the projections 46.

A helical tension spring 52, which is attached to and extends betweenthe upper portion or" the stationary support 6 and one of the bars oithe bearing arms 26 adjacent the cam roller 20, functions to urge thelever 22 to a raised position. Afhelical tension spring 54 is attachedat one end to the upper portion of the stationary sup port 6 and at itsother end to the arm I2 at a point below the pivot pin IB for thepurpose oi urging the movable jaw I4 away from the fixed jaw 8.

In operation, a workpiece W is positioned between the jaws 8 and I4 andthe operator applies force to the lever 22 by placing his foot on theplate 34 and depressing the free end of the lever 22 causing unitarypivoting of the articulated treadle and bearing arms 23 and 26 about thepivot pin 32. As the lever pivots about the pin 32, the cam roller 20rolls downwardly along the camming surface I8 of the leg I2. Since thearcuate movement of the roller 20 has a greater radius than the cammingsurface I8, the movement of the cam roller downwardly along the cammingsurface forces the leg I2 t0 pivot about the pin I6 against the force ofthe spring 54 thereby moving the jaw I4 toward the stationary jaw 8 thusclosing the vise to grip the workpiece. As the lever 22 is so beingdepressed, the treadle and bearing arms 23 and 26 remain in alignmentuntil the force exerted by the foot of the operator exceeds thecompressive force of the spring 44 at which time the treadle arm 23 willpivot about the common axis of the axially spaced pivot pins 28 and willcompress the spring 44. The pawl 3B travels downwardly along the ratchet36 simultaneously with the downward movement of the free end of thelever 22 so that the jaws are kept closed after the operator removes hisfoot from the plate 34 by the pawl remaining engaged with the ratchetunder urging by the spring 42.

After the operator has removed his foot from the plate 34 and the freeend of the lever is kept depressed by action of the pawl and ratchet.the spring 44 will tend to cause the treadle and the bearing arms 23 and26 to again resume aligned end-to-end relation thus maintaining thepressure exerted by the jaws 8 and I4 on the workpiece W.

When it is desired to open the jaws of the vise, the operator depressesthe pawl 38 against the compressive force of the spring 42 to free itfrom engagement with the ratchet 36. The spring 52 then raises the lever22 causing the cam roller 2U to travel upwardly along the cam surfaceI8. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the cam roller, thespring 54 urges the arm I2 pivotally about the pin I6 to move the jaw I4away from the jaw 8.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A foot-operated bench vise comprising a xed jaw mounted on astationary support, a leg depending below said jaw and pivoted on saidsupport about a fixed horizontal axis, a movable jaw on the upper end ofsaid leg cooperating with said fixed jaw, said leg having a cam surfaceadjacent its lower end, an operating lever pivoted on the lower end ofsaid support in spaced relation to said cam surface, said lever having aroller thereon engaging said'cam surface, said lever including a bearingbar and a treadle bar pivoted end-to-end, spring means connected withsaid bearing bar and said treadle bar opposing tilting movement of thetreadle bar relative to the bearing bar when downward pressure isapplied to the free end of the treadle bar, ratchetand-pawl meansoperatively associated with said treadle bar and effective to lock thelatter in the position to which it is actuated by said pressure.

2. A foot-operated bench vise as defined in claim 1 characterized bysaid treadle bar having a portion projecting beyond the pivotalconnection between it and the bearing bar and spaced from the latter toprovide a mounting for said spring means.

3. In a foot-operated vise including a fixed jaw and a movable jawcooperating therewith, said movable jaw having a leg depending therefromprovided with a cam surface, the combination therewith of an actuatinglever having a roller engaging said surface, said lever including abearing arm and a treadle arm hinged end-toend, spring means connectedwith said bearing arm and said treadle arm for normally maintaining apredetermined angularity between said portions, and ratchet-and-pawlmeans operatively associated with said treadle arm and effective toreleasably hold it in a position of greater angularity relative to thebearing arm.

4. In a foot-operated vise the combination therewith as defined by claim3 characterized by a supporting leg extending downwardly and rearwardlyfrom said fixed jaw, said lever being pivoted on said supporting leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date '784,847 Ford Mar. 14, 1905 1,059,830 Carter Apr. 22, 19131,069,678 Conley Aug. 12, 1913 1,075,506 Smith Oct. 14, 1913

